Fw: [OWR] Federal intervention please

The federal government has responded to many Ontarians that they cannot intervene and assist Ontarians that are having industrial wind turbines forced upon them and being sited too close to their homes. Even with their knowledge that many residents are being made ill and some are being forced from their homes they say that because it is a provincial policy it is out of their hands.

This is an unconscionable passing of the buck when people are suffering. We know that as each new wind farm starts to operate more families are being negatively affected.

If the federal government has no jurisdiction over the provincial wind turbine policy then why was the Canadian Ambassador to China, David Mulroney giving a speech to Chinese company, China Longyuan Power Group Corporation at their signing ceremony just last year for yet another wind turbine project in already devastated Melancthon Township?http://www.clypg.com.cn/en/newscenter/headlinenews/268829.shtml

You can’t have it both ways!

Please write to your federal MP and insist that they immediately intervene to shut down the offending turbines and substations where they are causing illness and causing people to flee their homes, and furthermore call for a moratorium on any new wind projects until proper independent health studies have been completed. Because our provincial government will not act on a disturbing volume of evidence of harm then our federal government must step in to mitigate the problems.

Below I have copy pasted the story and below that is some basic information that you can include on your message to your MP if you wish.

Story:

On July 13, Longyuan Canada Renewables Ltd., a branch unit of the China Longyuan Power Group Corporation Limited, signed a share purchase agreement with Canada’s Farm Owned Power (Melancthon) Ltd. in Beijing. This marks China Longyuan’s first foray into the global wind power market, thus making it the first State-owned power company in China that invests in the new energy sector outside the country. Those who attended the signing ceremony mainly include Zhu Yongpeng, general manager and deputy secretary of the leading Party group of the China Guodian Corporation, Qiao Baoping, vice-general manager of China Guodian and secretary of its leading Party group, Mi Shuhua, vice-general manager of China Guodian and member of its leading Party group; Wu Guihui, chief engineer of the National Energy Administration, Liu Nanchang, director of the Bureau of General Affairs under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC); Xie Changjun, general manager of the China Longyuan Power Group Corporation Limited, Jia Nansong, secretary of the board of directors of China Longyuan, Zhang Baoquan, vice-general manager of China Longyuan; David Mulroney, Canada’s ambassador to China, Duane McMullen, Minister (Commercial), Embassy of Canada to China and John Kidd, chairman of Canada’s Farm Owned Power (Melancthon) Ltd.. Of them, Zhu Yongpeng, Wu Guihui, Liu Nanchang, Xie Changjun and David Mulroney gave their speeches respectively. Jia Nansong presided over the signing ceremony.

Canada is a country rich in wind energy resources. It has a good new energy industrial base and excellent supportive policies. These help to create an ideal investment and operation environment for wind farm. The wind power project purchased by China Longyuan has an installed capacity of 100 MW. Located in Ontario, a place abundant in wind power resources, the project will be able to supply electric power for local 30,000 households when completed.

Zhu Yongpeng said in his speech that, this wind power project is the first new energy project that China Guodian Group invested overseas. It is a milestone in the course that China Longyuan works hard to promote its ambitious “going out” strategy. Zhu hoped that China Longyuan can open up new areas for development and make new contributions to the growth of Guodian Corporation after entering into the Canadian wind power market. He also added that China Longyuan should do a good job in developing new energy resources for China and strive for new great achievements.

Xie Changjun noted in his speech that guided by the decision and deployment of the China Guodian Corporation, China Longyuan has made positive efforts in implementing the “going out” strategy and exploring the overseas new energy market. At present, China Longyuan has built preparatory offices for developing overseas projects in the countries like South Africa, the United States, Canada and Hungary. Significant breakthrough has been made in the wind power projects in South Africa and Canada. Xie said that China Longyuan will try its utmost to do well in constructing and operating the overseas projects and show the world the strength and development level of the Chinese new energy enterprise.

Canada’s ambassador to China, David Mulroney, said that Canada received so many investments from China in the past three years, in particular, the investment in the energy sector. As an eco-friendly society, Canada and its Ontario will continue to welcome the Chinese investors.

John Kidd, the head of Farm Owned Power (Melancthon) Ltd., mentioned that this hard-won collaboration is a result of joint efforts of both sides. He hoped that it will be a successful international project and at the same time, it can become a long-term one in future.

Relevant officials from the SASAC, National Energy Administration, China Guodian Corporation, China Longyuan, and the Canada Embassy to China and local government of Toronto (wonder who?) also attended the signing ceremony.

Some additional info for your MP if you wish:

The regulations for large wind electrical generating facilities have been based on industry guidelines; guidelines that only serve to benefit the industry and the foreign national corporations they represent. These regulations now set in law, exempt IWT development from all other laws that protect the environment, heritage, wildlife, human health and Ontario’s own Statement of Environmental Values.

The public is expected to accept literature reviews convened, sponsored, and written by the proponents and a review by the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health that claim “there is no direct adverse health effects caused by IWTs. Never has the industry nor the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health in their reports questioned or examined any of the victims.

Industry witnesses during a 2011 Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) acknowledge that “wind turbines in Ontario will cause annoyance, which is expected to result in stress related impacts in some individuals”. These symptoms: sleep disturbance, headaches, tinnitus, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, visual blurring, tachycardia, irritability, problems with concentration and memory, and panic attack episodes are all effects of annoyance by noise which is a stress effect. As attested by Dr. Geoff Leventhall, ERT witness for Suncor Energy Services Inc. (SES Inc.)“these symptoms have been accepted for many years as symptoms of extreme stress from environmental noise”. Dr. C. Ollson, another ERT witness for SES Inc. testifies “regardless of whether the perceived impacts by affected individuals are physiological or psychological in nature, they are a serious matter and are considered as adverse health effects”. These statements were all made under oath.

There is a significant amount of peer reviewed scientific research that indeed makes the notion of health impacts credible enough to warrant further studies.

In documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request, MOE senior environmental officers acknowledge that Certificate of Approvals have been issued without any approved methodology to determine compliance with the noise levels identified in the guidelines. Further they confirm that the noise emissions from multiple wind turbines are consistently above normal nighttime ambient noise levels and are exceeding the requirements set out on the CofA. The noise created by the wind turbines is audible inside homes and is quite annoying to the occupants and is probably the cause for the sleep deprivation that is being complained about. They acknowledge that individuals have moved out of their houses or have made arrangements with the developer to buy their homes.

The July 18, 2011 Kent-Breeze ERT decision states: “This case has successfully shown that the debate should not be simplified to one about whether wind turbines can cause harm to humans. The evidence presented to the Tribunal demonstrates that they can, if facilities are placed too close to residents. The debate has now evolved to one of degree.” It has been confirmed that negative human health effects of IWT exposure can be created through “indirect” pathways. Soon after the Kent Breeze Project owned by SES Inc. went online (It was the subject of the ERT decision) a legal action was launched by a family living in close proximity to the development.